WARNING Since this site was written contact details will have changed. They were correct as at 1st June 2010
1st June 2010 - Planning appeal decision " 11. The proposal would rise up above the railway and the low lying town centre |
Planning Application ref: HS/FA/08/00625 EXIT ASSET MANAGEMENT LODGES APPEAL |
Planning meeting 24th June 2009 Sanity Prevails! - Application rejected! - Unanimous Decision. |
Refused because "The proposed development of 88 flats, by reason of its size and bulk, siting and design fails to demonstrate sensitive integration into the existing urban form and will appear unduly dominant on the skyline and overbearing in the street along Braybrooke Road. As such the proposal is in conflict with Policies DG1 (b) and (c), DG7 (a) and (b) of the Hastings Local Plan 2004 which state: Full report here |
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If you need Adobe Acrobat - click here to download |
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The application contains errors of fact - see Parking below You can comment online - see above - or write to
Planning Services |
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"Let's get this straight, we would rather the site remained undeveloped than the proposed massive overdevelopment went ahead". This was the actual quote expressed by a large number of residents when asked to expand on the notion that they wanted the site developed. They had come to the 'consultation' expecting to see a sympathetic plan for the site. |
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| What's this web site all about? | ||
We are worried that we are going to be saddled with an awful and massive overdevelopment of the old Hollingsworth site in Braybrooke Road. Our fears have not been allayed by a slick "consultation" where we naively thought that the developers may ask our opinions on what we'd like on the site, instead of which we were informed that they thought around a hundred units would be fine - never mind the impact on the area. The current application was for 89 flats but in April 2009 that was modified to 88 flats. Previous applications have been rejected and appeals have upheld these rejections - see the 1989 Planning Inspectorate Report and the 1993 Planning Inspectorate Report. The development was considered inappropriate for 83 units and then 60 units and it is therefore even more inappropriate for 88 units now. The proposed development, at 2.5 times their height would dwarf the Victorian terrace of Lower Park Road and would be clearly visible from the whole of St Helens Road from the roundabout to the Park Cross Roads - would that be a fitting backdrop for our beautiful Alexandra Park? - it would in fact be a running sore visible from most of the Victorian Hastings Valley from the Castle, West Hill, Lower Mount Pleasant Road, Quarry Road, Lower Park Road Priory Avenue, Priory Close not just Braybrooke Road. Research shows that Exit Asset Management was an eight quid company company set up in November 2006 so no track record, and described as a 'Business & Management Consultancy' - you can check the Companies House entries for Exit Asset Management here and their annual return here. No annual accounts have been filed. They imply that the Architect's track record was their track record this simply isn't true. It has been suggested that the 'developers' are not interested in actually building on ther site, all they want to do is obtain planning consent for a vast number of housing units so that the site value will increase and the owner, Hovedean Properties can then sell it on. They have made much of the majority view that yes, the site shoud be developed but ignored the rider that what was proposed was totally unacceptable to the extent that many residents said that they would rather the site remained undeveloped. |
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EXIT Asset Management have now produced another glossy leaflet click here |
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| Exit Asset management have submitted an application for a monolithic slab of a building comprising 89 flats with only 62 car parking spaces (very small cars only). The development is excessive and there are good and sound planning reasons for the Council's Planning Committee to reject the application. Write to the planning board to tell them to reject the application. The formal application was finally submitted 1st October and describes EXIT Asset management as 'Agent' c/o another 'Agent' Stiles Harold Williams - an estate agency based in Croydon. |
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Grounds for refusal of planning consent | |
| Bulk | The sheer, horrendous bulk is out of keeping with the town, let alone the area, it's two and a half times higher than the attractive Lower Park Road Terrace which it completely dwarfs. Click here for what the Planning inspector said in 1989 when 83 flats were proposed and click here to see what he said about the 1993 proposal for 60 flats - both of which were considered an overdevelopment |
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Density |
Equivalent to around 90 dwellings per acre (220 per hectare) which is blatantly excessive. Today's overcrowding is tomorrow's slums. | |
At least 14 parking spaces outside the development will be lost to allow for entrances, exits and access to refuse bins etc. don't forget the 'visibility splays' required for access and don't forget the shortfall of 27 spaces in the development and no allocated visitors' parking severe parking problems extending the length of Braybrooke Road, Lower Park Road, Priory Avenue and Stanley Road can be expected. White lines outside your house are likely to be ignored, We need to know THE EXACT NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TO RESIDENTS THAT WILL BE LOST - and where we are supposed to park our cars. East Sussex County Council's Lawrence Stringer, ( phone. 01273 482251) in his Traffic Report says that there will only be a loss of 4 or 5 spaces - he obviously hasn't looked at the plans and certainly hasn't visted the area! (see attached plan - marked in red are entrance, exit and onsite disabled parking and in blue communal refuse bins where access will have to be reserved) |
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| Overlooking | Privacy will be seriously compromised, gardens in Lower Park Road will be overlooked, those houses in Braybrooke Road with lower roof lines (mine included) will have their back gardens overlooked. Worst of all the outside areas of the Surestart building in Waterworks Road will be overlooked - do we want vulnerable children spied upon? | |
| Relationship with existing properties | Planning consent was recently refused on a small development at 133 Braybrooke Road because it would have a "poor relationship with existing properties" - it conflicts with policy DG1 (b) and (c) of the Hastings Local Plan 2004. click here for copy of refusal. |
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| Amenity Space | The "Roof Garden" idea is, quite frankly, ludicrous, If implemented would provide a super opportunity for throwing things onto the road AND the railway - it is after all the only place for residents' children to play unless a responsible adult sees them across Hastings' busy ring road - check liklihood and time taken if you live on one of the upper floors! How long would the fanciful greenery last once subjected to salt-laden south-westerly winds. The greenery will quickly become brown and parched and look absolutely awful, particularly when viewd from the West Hill. | |
| Planning History of the Braybrooke Road site |
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1989 Outline planning application for around 100 residential units including starter home and warden care flats and 85 car park spaces above and below ground withdrawn July 1989. Full planning application for 83 Flats refused July because it was too large. 1989. Developer lodged appeal and public enquiry held. Refusal upheld. Inspector's reasons for refusal click here |
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Listed below are some other observations, including notes on document BRR 03 submitted by EXIT in support of their application. |
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| FACT |
Exit Asset Management, now described as the 'Agent' for the site were set up for £8 on 29th November 2006. So the company has NO track record and NO company Accounts. In their February 2008 leaflet they say that the site "has been acquired for redevelopment by EXIT Asset Management" - the application form describes them as agents - why the attempt to mislead? are these the same agents who refused to reveal who the owners are? - click for more | |
| Owner | REGISTER EXTRACT current on 24 APR 2008 |
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| Client | Introduction 1.1 Exit Asset Management Ltd is described as " a UK based asset management company with extensive experience in the redevelopment of brown field sites within London and the South East" This simply isn't true. They are a management consultancy established in November 2006 (click here for their Companies House registration) They haven't even submitted their annual accounts so where does this "extensive experience" come from? | |
| Financial | It's difficult to see how ANY financial institution would lend EXIT, with an issued share capital of £8 anything to even start the development. When built, will they be able to sell the flats? - so why the planning application? - could it be that consent with that sort of density establishes a much higher value for the land? | |
| Estate Agents | They'd say pretty much anything to get their commission on the new development - but what do they have to say about the effect on existing properties that will blighted by it. Not a planning consideration but it'll do nothing for existing property values. | |
| Why the picture of the Observer Building? |
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click for copy
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A detailed response to EXIT's"New homes proposed for Braybrooke Road, Hastings Public Consultation: March 2008" click here | |
"Let's get this straight, we would rather the site remained undeveloped than the proposed massive overdevelopment went ahead". This was the actual quote expressed by a large number of residents when asked to expand on the notion that they wanted the site developed. They had come to the 'consultation' expecting to see a sympathetic plan for the site. |
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| Braybrooke Ward Councillors | Contact cllr.godfrey.daniel@hastings.gov.uk and cllr.dominic.sabetian@hastings.gov.uk | |
| Castle Ward Councillors | Contact cllr.paul.barlow@hastings.gov.uk and cllr.peter.armstrong@hastings.gov.uk | |
| Planning Officer | Contact KPhillips@hastings.gov.uk | |
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Rebecca Katharyn MILLER Rebecca owns three shares - that's a three quid stake |
Eleanor May YURTSEVER |
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Braybrooke and Hastings deserves better - the current proposal just isn't good enough.
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